Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) claimed on Friday that her “tough” treatment of her staff indicated how well she’d handle Russian President Vladimir Putin if she won the White House.

“When you’re out there on the world stage and dealing with people like Vladimir Putin, yeah, you want someone who’s tough,” Klobuchar told CNN. “You want someone that demands the answers and that’s going to get things done, and that’s what I’ve done my whole life.”

Klobuchar was responding to reports detailing her abusive treatment of her staff, which allegedly included throwing objects at aides and subjecting them to angry tirades that reduced them to tears. HuffPost reported in February that at least three people refused to lead the Minnesota senator’s presidential campaign due to her record of cruelty toward staffers.

Klobuchar admitted to having “high standards” as an employer, though she conceded that “one can always do better.”

Cristina Cabrera (@crismcabrera)
is a newswriter at TPM based in New York. She previously worked for Vocativ, USA Today and NY1 News.